COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN SOUTH AFRICA: COSALC

1. COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN SOUTH AFRICA:COSALC INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON CMRS 9 October 2003 Hannie Sander, Chairperson: COSALC Chief Director: RAU Library and Information Centre

2. CMRS IN SOUTH AFRICA • Introduction: new era & imperatives • From regional to international consortia • COSALC focus and objectives • Projects and services • Selecting and evaluation • Marketing • Lessons learnt • Members’ preferences • The Road ahead • Conclusion

4. NATIONAL IMPERATIVES • Early 90’s: National Education Policy Investigation (NEPI) • 1996: National Commission on Higher Education • July1997: White Paper on Education • December 1997: Higher Education Act • July 2000: CHE’s Towards a New HE Landscape (Size and shape) • March 2001: National Plan for Higher Education (NPHE) • NEPAD: Forum on China-Africa cooperation

5. INFORMATION IMPERATIVES • 1996: Policy, Planning and Co-operation: Smart solutions for information provision (WGLIT) • October 1997: Towards smart models for information usage in HE (CHET) • November 1998: Regional models (CHET) • Declining budgets and value of SA Rand: • Rand/USD Jan 2000 to Jan 2002: 77% • July 1999: Representatives of academic consortia: investigate national cooperation on electronic resources (COSALC) • OSI>eIFL: EBSCOHost

6. GAUTENG AND ENVIRONS LIBRARY CONSORTIUM

7. CALICO esAL FRELICO GAELIC SEALS SANRIC STRATEGIC PARTNERS NEDAC National Library of SA LIASA SABINET Online Government eIFL.net,ICOLC and other consortia REGIONAL TO NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIA

8. COSALC MEMBERS • 35 academic libraries • Mergers; 35 to 21(2004-2005) • 425 590 FTE’s (contact and distance) • 7 research libraries • Public library • Corporate library

9. COSALC’s vision is to enhance access to information and the sharing of resources to benefit the clientsof library consortia in South Africa through national cooperation

10. COSALC FOCUS AND OBJECTIVES • National level: promoting and supporting national co-operative initiatives • Access to information (digital) • National and international partnerships and agreements • Contribute: establishment of national ICT structure • National strategy for access to electronic information

11. COSALC FOCUS AND OBJECTIVES (2) • Communication and liaison • Advocacy channel • Prominent profile • Influencing national information policy • Marketing and communication plan • Training and capacity building • Developmental opportunities • Provide superior services, improve national access, information literacy

12. COSALC FOCUS AND OBJECTIVES (3) • Infrastructure and funding: • Voluntary • Membership fees • Sponsorships and donor funding • Acquisition of compatible hardware, software and networks • There are more telephone lines in New York than in the entire sub-Saharan Africa!” Thabo Mbeki- 1995

13. PROJECTS AND SERVICES • National strategy for access to electronic information sources • South African Site Licensing Initiative (SASLI),1 May 2002 • Co-ordinate access, administer, train • National audit of electronic resources • Service level agreements • Evaluation criteria

14. EVALUATION CRITERIA • 2000: guidelines selection and evaluation • Purpose • Broad guidelines: national, regional, institutional level • Comparison: DB quality, appropriateness, usability, effectiveness • Widest possible access to range of material • High quality full text DBs purchased • Capacity building to evaluate full text DBs

15. CONSTRUCTION • Part A: content & use • Audience, peer review, back files, embargo’s, updates, coverage, journal lists, duplicates • Appearance and product structure • Search capabilities • Full text options • Display, save, print, export • Help • Pricing

16. CONSTRUCTION (2) • Part B: IT & support • Access • Archiving • Support • General: customise, trials, statistics • Weighted • Essential and mandatory: * 80% • Highly desirable: + 60% • 1-4

17. MARKETING • Good product - good services • Unknown - no purpose • Must have a product or service available, deliverable • Know your market

18. MARKETING STRATEGY • Need for and purpose of market strategy • Establish and enhance COSALC profile • Publicise collaborative efforts • Raise awareness of consortium benefits • Keep stakeholders informed

19. MARKETING STRATEGY (2) • Strategy for each objective • Objective, eg. market COSALC projects • Stakeholders and target group, eg. member libraries’ staff and management • Methods, eg. handouts, Listserv’s, communique’s, website • Purpose, eg benefits; encourage participation

20. MARKETING STRATEGY:INTERNAL COMMUNICATION • Feedback to Library staff and institutional management • Effective use of resources • Encourage participation • Emphasise benefits of collaboration

21. MARKETING STRATEGY:EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION • External communication • Positive image of COSALC • Donors and stakeholders desire to be associated

22. Word of mouth Brochures: Print and/or Electronic Articles (link to Web site) Newsletter Communique’s Listserv’s SABINEWS Web site Information sessions eg. Workshops or conferences Exhibitions MARKETING METHODS

23. WEB PAGE OR OTHER MEDIA • About the consortium • Policy statement • Memorandum of Understanding/Constitution • Projects, products and services • Cost benefits of sharing • Marketing and communication strategy • Annual report • Communique’s • Links to members, stakeholders, other consortia

24. WEB PAGE OR OTHER MEDIA (2) • Consortium stationery: Letterhead • Brochure template • Poster • Logo

25. BUDGET • Consider expertise level within organisation • Time available • Design • Outsource? • Costly not always better than self-designed (know it all @ your library) • Technical requirements • Content accuracy, time implications

26. THE NEVER ENDING STORY ... • Regular contributions from all members • Feedback to member library staff & management • Keep donors informed • Review strategy regularly • Success breeds success

27. LESSONS LEARNT • COMMUNICATION • Communication strat • Meetings and minutes • Keep in touch • Involve staff • Market & publicise • Reports to donors • Reports to institutional management

28. Formalise agreements Standards Existing infrastructure and expertise Keep it manageable Consultants Commitment Share responsibilities Recognise differences Be democratic Common difficulties LESSONS LEARNT (2)

29. Lack of National & regional colldev policy Discrepancies: license agreements - national licensing principles Continuous price increases, surcharges for e-access Best for most Branch collections Changes: to access models pricing models Volume of proposals Long time evalaution Member response - often slow or none Realtime management and proposals Impact of mergers COMMON DIFFICULTIES IN REACHING AGREEMENT

30. COSALC MEMBERS PREFER… • Balance: quality, relevance, use, and price • Price not based on print value (//print & e) • Financial benefits for current subscribers • Multiple models: Flexibile- no. & type of libraries; phased in models • Archiving/long term access • Sensitive to bridge the digital divide • Win-win, or no deal

31. THE ROAD AHEAD • National strategy for access to electronic information • National collection development policy • Scholarly communication and publishing • Librarian’s schizophrenia • Educate publishers • ICT infrastructure • Sustainability

32. THE ROAD AHEAD (2) • Contact with other consortia and stakeholders • International communities/consortia • National System of Innovation • New SA Research & Development Strategy • Sustainability • Section 21 company

33. IN CONCLUSION • Creative & innovative access to information • Inst. repositories, BOAI, SPARC, DOAJ • Affordable & equitable access for members • Sharing resources for library consortia clients • National and international collaboration of library consortia in South Africa through national co-operation • COSALC ….. The never ending story

34. CONTACT ADDRESSES • COSALC • http//www.uovs.ac.za/library/cosalc • COSALC Listserv • cosalc@sabinet.co.za • Hannie Sander • js@bib.rau.ac.za • Susan Veldsman • sasli@cosalc.ac.za

35. GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE IDEA THE BASICS OF CONSORTIA Presentation by Hannie Sander Namibia Consortium Building Workshop 12 May 2003

36. OUTLINE • Collaboration • Co-operation • Consortium • Relation with other professional bodies • Models of consortia • Examples

37. COLLABORATION CO-OPERATION • COLLABORATION • Working together is old hat in libraries • Network - ask • Authors and collaborators • CO-OPERATION • Working together in everyday/operational issues

38. CONSORTIUM • Establish group/grouping • Working together towards a common goal • Usually purchasing involved • Economies of scale • COMMON DENOMINATOR: • Working together

39. RELATIONSHIPS • Duplication? • Some overlap - Different level • Very focused • Generally professional body (NIWA) - professional issues • Consortium focus on common operational issues • Normally financial benefit • Membership of more than one consortium

40. MODELS OF CONSORTIA • Voluntary • Formalised • NPO or NGO • Trust • Section 21 Company • Geographical • Subject

41. GOVERNANCE EXAMPLE • Membership • General Assembly • Governing Board • Standing Board Committees e.g. Finance, Nominating, Membership, Bylaws, one or two advisory committees • Outside experts and Electronic Information Advisory Panel

42. EXAMPLES • Regional: OHIOLINK, NELINET, GAELIC • National: COSALC, FINLIB, ZULC • Multi-country consortium: eIFL.Net • Library type specific: CAUL • Subject specific: Adonis • Function specific: OCLC